16th June 2017

Agile working is the new craze in workplaces, where multiple employees use one workspace in big collaborative settings. It allows employees that are working on the same role to share a workplace, in different shifts. Almost all major businesses around the globe have adopted this trend, but you should know that agile working has both pros and cons before you decide to implement it and introduce your own agile working designs for the office.
Let’s look at a few so that you have a basic idea about what agile working really can do you for your business:

The Pros
Competitive business
When looking at it from the perspective of the business, agile working designs for the office offers a competitive edge to the business in terms of services. Clients today demand fast services, and agile working ensures that businesses can meet client demands in limited time, since the business can adopt flexible hours in order to meet them.
Mobility and flexibility
The main goal of agile working is to remove over-reliance on employees, since employees don’t have to be present in order to work. The workspace can be shifted around in the office, which ensures that employees aren’t restricted, and can take their work beyond the walls of the office. The mobility and flexibility offered by agile working allows them to work anywhere and at any time, allowing greater productivity levels for the business.
Reduced costs
Businesses that promote agile working have reduced costs, since they aren’t reliant on office space, as the work can be shifted anywhere, while they can also save money on business operations. At the same time their work productivity isn’t being affected.

Improved productivity
This has already been highlighted in the above points, as businesses don’t have to worry about work delays, as employers can also split work in different shifts. This also helps them when working on group projects as they can shift projects according to the demands of the client.
The Cons
Mismatched management
Agile working space means that you will need to switch to self-managed employees. This means that the managers will have to adapt to changes in environment, or have to micromanage their employees, which could result in mismatched management.
Territory disputes
Agile working works for some businesses, but it also means no assigned seating. However, it is human nature to claim territory, and in a workplace you don’t need to start territorial seating disputes.
Disgruntled employees
You have to realise that not all employees are going to be receptive towards agile working, since people hate territory disputes, having limited privacy, and having to share their workspace.

The Verdict
If you’re thinking about adopting agile working in your office space, then you should know about the pros and cons that will come with it. While doing away with cubicles in favor of an open and shared environment sounds attractive, it would require a complete overhaul of your office to meet your business demands as well.

Why not contact one of our friendly customer service team at Whiteleys to discuss how we can help you implement your own bespoke agile working designs for the office.